World-renowned pianist Kevin Cole and the Gershwin estate come together in a tribute concert to composer Ira and pianist George Gershwin at Stanford University on Dec. 3. Known for the musical similarity in his playing style to Gershwin, Cole was the perfect choice as the concert’s front man.
“I have a specialty in American music, and most especially Gershwin, and I’ve been given a lot of notice from people who knew George Gershwin, especially for my piano playing,” said Cole. “They [the Gershwin estate] said, ‘Well, would you have an interest in being involved in such a project?’ And I said ‘yes.’”
Championed by nephew Marc Gershwin (son of Arthur Gershwin, brother of George and Ira) and by Michael Strunsky (Ira’s nephew by marriage to wife Leonore) — as well as by Arthur Gershwin’s grandson and Gershwin trustee Todd Gershwin, who enforces the estate’s copyrights — the concert is made possible by the Ira and Leonore Gershwin Trust and the George Gershwin Family Trust with support from Dr. Michael and Jane Marmor of the Marmor Foundation.
There are two versions of the same show: one with a symphony and one without. The three-man version, to be performed in December, begins with a narration by Cole (concept and music direction also by him) about his first encounter with Gershwin’s music. It includes the talents of the Grammy Award–winning Lari White, Cole himself, and a tap dancer/singer, Ryan Vandenboom.
“What I like about this combination for the show is that you get the great piano music, you get the great songs. But also so many of us know that Gershwin’s music was danced to by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, most especially. So it’s fantastic to have someone who is [embodying] the style of those two singer/dancers, song and dance men,” said Cole. “This Ryan is really amazing but also will inspire a younger generation to take an interest in this music and these songs. Because behind all of this work that we’ve been doing to create the show is we want to expose it to younger audiences, since the generation that grew up with this music is starting to pass away. So we want younger people to connect with this music and feel the value of it, and the only way they can do that is to have concerts like this.”
Another interesting aspect is that the concert contains home movies and photographs from the Gershwin family. Both Cole and the Gershwin estate hope to introduce the next generation to the music that has failed to fade from American music history.
“There’s a timeless quality [in Gershwin’s music] that kind of speaks through the ages. We’re still falling in love. We’re still falling out of love. Those things are still happening,” said Cole. “People are still people. So, I love that during this concert I get a chance to talk to the audience about how this music changed my life and the course of my life, and how Gershwin literally did change my journey.”
A panel discussion by Todd Gershwin and Daniel Chilewich will be held on Dec. 2, from 12:45 to 2 p.m. at the Stanford Law School, on the topic of how best to protect an artist’s legacy.